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News Release EVENT NEWS RELEASE / January 21, 2009 10th Annual Bald Eagle Days Kicks Off Statewide 'Be Outside' Initiative Jan. 30 with Public Celebration Jan. 31 Boise State University’s Idaho Bird Observatory (IBO) will present the 10th annual Bald Eagle Days Jan. 29-31, with pre-arranged educational activities for school kids Thursday and Friday, followed by a free public celebration from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, located at 5657 Warm Springs Ave. in Boise. The public celebration is designed to allow people of all ages to get up close and personal with America’s national symbol. Participants can take advantage of viewing stations staffed by Audubon Society volunteers, informative presentations featuring bald eagles and other live birds of prey, hands-on educational activities and environmental booths hosted by local organizations. All will take place within the Barber Pool Conservation Area, an approximately 700-acre natural reserve of public and private land along the Boise River. Barber Pool’s black cottonwoods, wetlands and uplands are home to more than 200 bird species and more than 60 species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. The schedule for the public celebration of Bald Eagle Days is as follows: • 10 a.m. — Viewing stations and exhibits open • 10:30 a.m. — Live golden eagle presentation by Monte Tish, Tish Raptor Rehabilitation • 11 a.m. — Boise River ecology presentation by John Heimer, Idaho Rivers United • 11:30 a.m. — Learn about falconry with live birds, Idaho Falconers Association • 12:30 p.m. — Live owl presentation by Larry Ridenhour, Bureau of Land Management • 1:30 p.m. — Live bald eagle presentation by Jane Fink, Birds of Prey NW • 2:30 p.m. — “Be Outside”: getting families outdoors, Idaho Children and Nature Network • 3:30 p.m. — Live bald eagle presentation by Jane Fink, Birds of Prey NW • 4:30 p.m. — Viewing stations and exhibits close The goal of the event is to raise awareness, appreciation and support for the Boise River, Barber Pool and the wildlife they sustain, and to pass the stewardship ethic on to the next generation. “We hope that kids, through this awareness of these places and their wildlife, will gain an appreciation for nature and will want to spend more time outside exploring what nature has to offer them,” said IBO director Greg Kaltenecker. “This exploration of nature has been shown to be so important for kids not only physically, but emotionally as well.” In addition to celebrating its 10th anniversary, Bald Eagle Days is kicking-off “Be Outside,” a new statewide initiative being launched by the Idaho Children and Nature Network to connect children with nature in Idaho, from backyards to mountaintops. The Network is a diverse coalition of government agencies, organizations, private businesses, medical professionals and citizens dedicated to empowering all Idahoans to lead healthy lives by developing a sense of place in Idaho’s outdoors. "Be Outside" will help educators, media outlets, parents and policy makers work together to achieve that end. “Bald Eagle Days was chosen as the kick off for the Be Outside campaign because it is the perfect fit — a perfect example of getting kids outside, combining the goals of improving their health and well being while helping to foster a conservation/outdoor ethic for important natural areas within our city,” said Kaltenecker. Idaho’s first lady Lori Otter will announce the initiative during Bald Eagle Days at a 9:45 a.m. press conference Friday, Jan. 30, on the Idaho Shakespeare Festival patio. She also will read Gov. Otter’s proclamation that 2009 is “Be Outside,” the year of Idaho Children in Nature. A representative from Sen. Mike Crapo’s office will read the senator’s remarks followed by a few words from Barbara Morgan, Boise State’s distinguished educator in residence. Presenters then will break into groups with young attendees and participate in the outdoor fun of Bald Eagle Days. For more information on Bald Eagle Days, visit http://baldeagledays.blogspot.com. For more about the "Be Outside" initiative, visit www.beoutsideidaho.org (though the site will not be live until Jan. 30). -30- Media Contact: Erin Ryan, University Communications, (208) 426-4910, erinryan@boisestate.edu Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.
Last reviewed on Wednesday, January 21, 2009
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